BarcelonaBarça have been left without a safety net. The best team of the regular season needs to win two games against Real Madrid, its executioner in the Euroleague semifinals, to revalidate the Endesa League title. The Barça team faces the first match ball no doubt, as his game has plummeted in recent weeks. The plot designed by Sarunas Jasikevicius has lost its balance and suffers to match the physical level of the eternal rival, who dominates the rebound with authority. The Catalan defense of change has lost its usual effectiveness and suffers from limiting the movements of an opponent with very clear ideas.
The Barça dressing room is looking for past precedents to increase its optimism. The qualifiers against Zenit Saint Petersburg, Bayern Munich or Joventut de Badalona, where the Catalan team won a game away from home, serve as inspiration. The most experienced fans also put on the table the finals of 1995 and 2012, when the Catalan team avoided elimination by winning the fourth game in Malaga and Madrid and then was able to win the title in Barcelona.
Nikola Mirotic does not dodge the pressure. “We are aware of where we are and we know we have to play better as a team. I trust my team until the last moment. We have to be more physical and consistent, like in the second game. They are dominating the rebound, so we have to match their energy. We have to change a lot of things in order to win “, says the pivot winger, who is committed to a fast and daring game. The Montenegrin is asking for credit for Barça. “This team has shown that in the most difficult times, it has reacted. We don’t have to save more energy and we have to take a step forward,” he added.
“We risk our lives”
“It’s very important to understand that we can’t give away rebounds. Our ball losses are punishing us and sometimes it’s difficult to change tactics or some things, but Madrid threw 19 times more than us. We are good and they are good, but the team that shoots 19 times will win, you have to try to know that every game is a story, it’s time to show your character and understand that the final is about bounces, losses and small things. “That’s the decent thing to do, and it should end there.”
“We want to celebrate the title at home, with our fans, but we know that the fourth game will be like a war. The whole team has taken a step forward to compete at a very high level. I’m tired of losing finals, now I want to win, “said Vincent Poirier, a Real Madrid center-back.
